Car-coupling



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W. NERGY.

GAR GOUPLING'.

Patented July 29, 1884.

WITJV'ESSES llNiTnn STATES artnr tries,

VILLIAM PIERCY, OF UARTHAGE, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 302,865, dated July 29,1884.

Application filed April 29, 1884.

.To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PrERoY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Carthage, in the county of Jasper and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings. Y

Among other objects attained by this invention are, while allowing forthe use of the ordinary coupling pin and link, to adapt the draw-head tobe coupled to another of different as well as of the same height; toeffect the ready locking or holding of the coupling as well in anuncoupled position as coupled; to render the draw-head readily yielding,either when subjected to a pulling strain or upon the bumping togetherof two draw-heads, and to permit,in the event of the derailment of acar, the automatic detachment ofa draw-head to prevent the derailed carsfrom pulling ofi'1 with it the connected ears.

This invention consists of the combinations of parts and theirconstruction, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side View of portions of twocars with my invention applied thereto in a coupled position. Fig. 2 isa plan View ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an end view of a ear with the couplingthereon. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the coupling, and Fig. 5 isa View showing the draw-head detached from the car.

In the organization of my invention I suitably afiix to the bottom ofthe car, at each end, two pendent edgewise-disposed side pieces, a c,with their rear ends united by a cross-piece, c, while their forwardends may be reduced a short distance longitudinally,and project beyondthe end of the car to serve in the eapacity of a buer, and to the loweredges of which is fastened, at its ends, an approximately staple-shapedcross bar, b. Within the open bottom inelosure thus formed is disposedthe draw head or bar B, with its rear end formed with a cylindric stemor rod, B, bearing in an apertured transverse partition, d, of saidinelosure or receptacle, and encircled between ashoulder thereon andsaid partition (No model.)

by a spring, e, which holds the draw-head sufciently projected beyondthe forward or outer ends of said inelosure or receptacle to permit,upon the bumping together of two such draw heads or bars, the latter toyield inwardly, and thus overcome concussion and prevent the liabilityof the breaking of said draw head or bars. Beyond the partition d therod or stem B of the draw-bar passes 6o through an aperture or slot, cl,in a plate oril cross-head, C, to which it is connected detachablyr'Said aperture or slot is narrower in one direction than the width of ahead or shoulder, f, formed upon that end of said stem 6 5 or rod toretain the draw head or bar in place when in its working or normalposition; but

in its other direction `said slot or aperture is slightly wider than thegreatest width of said head, so that in the event of the draw bar orhead or the ear changing their relative position one to the other, aswould happen in the event of the derailment of the car, the greatestwidth of said head of the draw-bar stem will come into alignment withand pass 7 5 through said aperture, and permit the draw bar or head tobe automatically detached from the car, thus preventing the derailed carfrom pulling off with it the car previously connected to it.

The plate or cross-head C slides `upon rods d2, nutted or bolted to thepartition d, and is pressed rearwardly by springs d, arranged upon saidrods; and said plate or head C has upon its side edges projections orstuds g g, which move in guides y', composed of plates with flangedlongitudinal edges, said projections being limited in their rearwardmovement by stops or angular plates y?, fastened to the inner sides ofthe draw-bar-containing 9o receptacle or inelosure. The object of thisarrangement of parts is to enable the draw bar or head to yield or moveto alimited extent outwardly as it is subjected to a pulling strain orforce, to relieve the cars of a sudden jerking motion, and to preventthe liability of the breaking of the draw-bar.

The forward part of the draw head or bar B rests normally upon thecross-bar b, and

,passes through or is embraced by a frame, D, roo

which is somewhat larger than the cross-section ofthe draw bar or head,to allow the latn i Q i :302,865

ter to conform to the vibrations or movements of the car withoutaffecting the frame. Said frame is adapted to slide vertically ingrooves g3 g3 in the inner sides of the receptacle or inclosure formedby the side pieces, a a, and to said frame is connected, for effectingits vertical adjustmentto accordingly affect the drawhead, thehand-lever E, pivoted to the end of the car, as seen in Fig. 3; or to itmay be connected two levers reaching to the sides of .the car. The outerend of the lever E,which is pivoted at E2 to the car, is secured by therack E3, to effect the securing of the draw head or bar adjusting framein a locked elevated or other position, as may be desired. Thisadjustment of the draw bar or'head permits, while allowing the use ofthe ordinary link and pin, the raising and lowering of the draw head orbar to adapt itto receive the draw-bar of a car of a different as wellas of the same height as itself.

E is the coupling-hook, which lhas a long horizontal shank and rests ina corresponding longitudinal opening in the draw bar or head, saidopening extending into the head of said bar, into which extension thebeak of said hook iits, the outer beveled surface of said beak beingpresented toward the outer open end of the draw-bar, into which the linkofthe approaching car or draw head orvbar is received, said link beingthus caused to force, automatically, its way beneath the beak of thehook, when the coupling of the cars will be effected. The coupling-hookis held in place as against vertical displacement by means of thestrong, preferably iiat, spring F, secured directly'over the openingcontaining said hook, its 'rear end being secured longitudinallyadjustably to that end of the draw-bar, while its other end is slotted,as at h, to receive a projection, h,of the hook, the spring resting uponthe hook upon each side of said projection.

To the projection h of the hook which is apertured is articulated thelower end of a vertical rod, G, adapted to slide upon the end `of thecar, and having about equidistant between its ends-one proj ectingfromeach sideapertured studs z', to which are pivoted the bifurcated orpronged inner ends of two handlevers, H. 'Ihese levers are aperturednear j their'outer ends and pass through seriallyapertured clips orkeepers j, secured to the lend of the car, near or at the corner edgesthereof, into any one of which and the aperture of either lever may beinserted a pin, j', which may dangle' by a chain from. the car, toeffect the retention in a locked or fastened position the coupling-hook,either elevated out of engagement with the link or depressed inengagement with the link. The outer end of the draw bar or head isbeveled or tapered toward its central opening, to readily guide orconduct the link thereinto in effecting the coupling operation; also,should the link happen not to be able to freely enter the draw-headchamber through said central opening, or not be quite in alignment withsaid end of the draw-head or aperture, the difiiculty can be overcome byadjusting the draw head or bar accordingly higher or lower. j

If desired, of the two spring-connections of the draw-bar, only thatpermitting the rearwardly-yielding movement of the latter may be used,while in lieu of the serially-apertured clips or keepersobliquely-slotted racks may be used to hold the coupling-hook anddraw-bar-adj ustin g frame-levers at their points of adjustment. v

It will be observed that the hook is detachably connected to thedraw-head in order that it may be dispensed with when necessary andremoved, and an ordinary coupling pin be used in place of it.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent elastic or gumglove-bumpers, which are fitted on the front ends of the longitudinalbars a, and secured thereon by the transverse nutted bolts N, projectedthrough orices therein. These bumpers are mclded intoglove form, asshown in Fig. 2, and-serve to greatly relieve the strain and jar towhich railroad-cars are subjected; but I do not con line myself to thislspecial construction of the elastic buffer, as it may also be employedother" wise constructed and secured to the cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatl claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a car-coupling, the combination of the draw-head, with its outerportion capable of vertical adjustment by means of frame D, and held inany desired position by means of the hand-lever E, and rack E3,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a car-coupling, the draw head or bar disposed in an inclosure orreceptacle secured to the under side of the car or platform, saiddraw-bar being provided with a headed stem at its rear end,which stempasses i through an aperture or slot in a cross head or plate of thedraw-bar-containing receptacle, said aperture or slot being of a greaterwidth in one direction than the greatest width of said head,substantially as -and for the purpose set forth.

3. The elastic or glove bumpers A, tted on the front ends of bars a, andsecured by transverse nutted bolts N, for relieving the strain and jarof the cars, substantially as shown and described.

4. rlhe combination of the draw-head B, having a cylindric rod or stem,B, couplinghook E', secured by spring F, and rod G and its adjustingconnections, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM PIERCY.

Witnesses:

J. Nora MCGILL, H. A. HALL.

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